Meaning of sukha vazhvaDaindu by Koteswara Iyer

[narayara000]

sukha vAzhvaDaindu - kOkilapriyA - rUpakam - kOTISvara iyer

Pallavi

sukha vAzhvaDaindu uyvAi sheivAi manamE nI

Anupallavi

mahavAn maghaL mAnmaghaL maNavALanaiyE Ezhai pangALanai

Charanam

makarantam tangum taNbozhil pongum ten shendirk- kumaran tan shemponn ambhuja padamE
mEvum ahamum pan taN kOkilapriyamum koNDan pin imbam peruga ulhAsa kavi kunjaradAsa

[rshankar]

I always find Sri KI's tamizh difficult to follow. In any case, here's my attempt at providing the meaning for this composition - others can fix errors or explain further:

pallavi
sukha vAzhvaDaindu uyvAi sheivAi manamE nI

(You) will attain an elevated status (uyvAi) by achieving (aDaindu) a happy (sukha/suga) life (vAzhvu): Oh mind (manamE), you (nI) will make this happen (seivAi)!

anupallavi
magavAn magaL mAnmagaL maNavALanai Ezhai pangALanai

The groom/husband (maNavALan) of dEvasEna, the daughter (magaL) of dEvEndra (magavAn) and of vaLLi, the daughter (magaL) of a deer (mAn) [1], the champion (pangALi) of the destitute (Ezhai).

caraNam
makarantam tangum taNbozhil pongum ten shendirk- kumaran tan shemponn ambhuja padamE
mEvum ahamum paN taN kOkilapriyamum koNDa pin inbam peruga ulhAsa kavi kunjaradAsa (sukha vAzhaDaindu…)

Once my soul (ahamum) that is forever united (mEvum) with the beautiful (Sen) golden (pon) lotus (ambuja)-like feet (padamE) of the bright and attractive (pongum) muruga (kumaran tan) of the southern (ten) city of tiruccendUr (sendil), in the cool (taN) garden/groove (pozhil) where honey-bees (makarantam) [2] reside (tangum), and this melody (paN) called kOkilapriya (kOkilaypriyamum) have been accepted (koNDa pin), let happiness/bliss (inbam) flow and spread (peruga), so that the ebullient (ullAsa) composer (kavi kunjara dAsa) [3], (will attain an elevated status by achieving a happy life)!

FOOTNOTES
[1] The myth is that vaLLi was born to vishNu and lakshmi, when the latter was in the form of a deer – vaLLi is therefore also called rOhishajA for that reason – she was brought up by the gypsy/hunter king nambirAjan who finds her in a shrub (hence her name pulinda kanyA – daughter of a hunter); but when she marries muruga, the kanyA dAnam is performed by vishNu
[2] makarantam can also mean the cuckoo (kOyal)
[3] The composer, Sri Koteeswara Iyer was brought up by his maternal grandfather, Kavi Kunjara Bharati who also served as his mentor – Sri KI adopted the mudra of kavi kunjara dAsa(n) out of respect

[Rajani]

I was wondering why the meaning of the songs feels incomplete. Ravi has done a very nice translation, but still some word seemed missing.

Looking up Kanda-ganamutham from here:
http://www.ibiblio.org/guruguha/MusicRe ... Books-Tam/
I found that the Pallavi is actually
sukha vAzhvaDaindu uyvAi sheivAi tudhi manamE nI

You will attain an elevated status (uyvAi) by achieving (aDaindu) a happy (sukha/suga) life (vAzhvu): Oh mind (manamE), you (nI) , do praise (tudhi seivAi). ( whom to praise is in the Anupallavi)

[rshankar]

Thank you Rajani! Makes so much more sense!

[narayara000]

thank you